A Musing About the Vazquez Trade

Written by Greg Fertel | 28 December 2009

I've been on record saying that I am a fan of the deal that brought Javier Vazquez to the Yankees. Yes, giving up Arodys Vizcaino hurt, but Vazquez is a top-notch pitcher so it was worth it to give up real talent for him. Add in the fact that the Yankees could possibly get some draft picks back for Vazquez after the 2010 season, and that can even make up for the loss of a top prospect.

In fact, if the Yankees obtain draft picks when Vazquez leaves, those players could even make the majors before Vizcaino, given how young he is. Anyway, a thought occurred to me about this deal; the success and necessity of this trade can and should be gauged on the health of Ben Sheets.

The Yankees have always expressed interest in Sheets, because like Vazquez, he's one of the top starters in the majors(when healthy, at least). Right now, Sheets is seeking a contract worth around $12 million(I highly doubt Sheets will actually get this much). Vazquez will make $11.5 million in 2010.

It seems that the Yankees took a look at Sheets' medicals, and decided that he wasn't a good bet to stay healthy. What if they were wrong? What if Sheets goes on to pitch 150+ very good innings? I think that the team and their medical staff should be held accountable for this.

There is no question that having one year of a healthy Ben Sheets at $12 million plus Melky Cabrera, Mike Dunn, and Arodys Vizcaino is a much better option than one year of Javier Vazquez at $11.5 million. Now, if Sheets goes out and gets injured quickly or is ineffective, this is all moot.

But if another team sees his health records and decides he's well worth the risk, I won't forgive Brian Cashman for giving up real value for Javier Vazquez, when a pitcher of Ben Sheets' caliber was available for just plain cash.